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Alabama Centennial Commission 



De Soto and the Indians 

First of a Series of Children's Plays 

in Commemoration of the Close of 

a Century of Statehood 



By Marie Bankhead Owen 



Issued by the 
Alabama Centennial Commission 



Montgomery, Alabama 

The Paragon Press 

1919 






Alabama Centennial Commission 

Created by act of the Legislature, February 17, 1919. 
Headquarters : Montgomery 

His Excellency, Thomas E. Kilby, Governor, 
ex-officio, Chairman 

Dr. Thomas M. Owen, Director, Department 
of Archives and History, ex-officio. Sec- 
retary and Historian. 

Fitzhugh Lee, State Auditor, ex-officio 

Spright Dowell, Superintendent of Education, 
ex-officio 

Dr. Thomas C. McCorvey, University, Ala. 

Dr. George Petrey, Auburn, Ala. 

Mrs. Bibb Graves, Montgomery, Ala. 



David Holt, Newspaper Publicity Director, 
Montgomery. 

Copyrighted, 1919. 

iUN 26 |y2Q 



Introductory Note 

A one act play for Grammar School Children, pre- 
senting in semi-humorous vein, the coming of the while 
man to what is now Alabama soil, and a dramatised 
version of the battle of Maubilla, between the Span- 
iards under De Soto and the Indians led by the great 
chief, Tuskaloosa. 

This play is meant to give the younger folks a chance 
to take a part in the historical celebration of the one 
hundredth anniversary of the state's admission into the 
Union. The improvised costuming during school recess, 
the simplicity of the action and the flexibility of the cast, 
make "De Soto and the Indians" suitable for production 
in village and rural schools as well as elsewhere. 

Four other juvenile plays will be issued by the Cen- 
tenary Commission covering episodes in the history of 
the state, and it is hoped by those leading in the move- 
ment, that all the plays will be produced by every 
school at such times as suit the convenience of each. 
The purpose is to arouse a greater interest in the an- 
nals of the state on the part of the children as well as 
of every loyal Alabamian. 



De Soto and the Indians 

Time of history, Oct. 18, 1540. 
Time of Action, Dec. 14, 1919. 

Theme: The coming of the first white men to Alabama 
soil and the strife that arose between them and 
the Indians. 
Ijocation of history: Maubilla, in the Fork of the War- 
rior and Tombigbee rivers. 
Place of production: Any school grounds or wood- 
land spot, or upon the sta^, set to represent a 
school playground. 

Costumes and Property. 
The costuming of "De Soto and the Indians'^ is ol 
the simplest sort, consisting of the addition of red 
strips of cloth to the every day dress, as sash and 
headband. The property consists of a large cardboard 
box or box-top, strings, a paper bag, a bright colored 
parasol, a girl's hat and scarf, a stick sword, a box of 
colored crayons, pocket scissors and an old feather 
duster or bunch of turkey tail feathers to be used by 
the Indians in their head bands. There are benches, a 
swing and a basket ball goal. A few boughs against 
the wall may suggest trees. 

Persons in the Play, 



Boys. 






Girls. 


John, a 


Book 


Worm 


The Teacher 


Joe, De 


Soto 




Mary 


Samuel, 


Tuskaloosa 


Ethel 


William 






Jane 


Alvin 






SaUie 


T^m 






Laura 


Paul 






Louise 


Jim 






Lottie 



All the boys and girls of the school as Spaniards, 
Indians. Priest, etc., etc. 



The Play 



The curtain rises on an empty stage, set as a school 
playground. In a moment there are heard oflf stage 
the children crying "Recess, Recess, Recess." They 
rush on the stage in noisy good humor. Some of the 
girls take seats on the benches. Two girls sit in 
the swing. Some boys sit down on the ground and talk 
and laugh. The smaller children play "Ring Around 
Roses." 

Enter John. 
(He is a bookish boy and is reading from "The Bat. 
tie of Maubilla;' Part One of the Alabama Centenary 
Pageant. He sits alone and pores over his book.) 
Enter Jane. 
(She is holding a pencil and tablet in her hands, 
stands a moment gazing up, then scribbles, gazes again, 
and writes.) 
Mary. (Getting up from the seat and crossing to Jane) 

What are you doing, Jane? 
Jane. I'm writing a moving picture play for Mary 
Pickford. (The boys give a sneering, "Ha, Ha.") 
Tom. I call that nerve. 
Jane. (Bursting into tears.) 

SalUe. (Putting her arms around about her comfort- 
ingly.) Don't cry, Jane. I know its a good play. 
Tom's joking any way. (Making signs to Tom to 
hush laughing. She leads Jane to back of stage 
and Mary gives her an apple which she begins to 
munch between sobs and giggles.) 
William. (Crossing to John and slapping him on the 
shoulder.) Heigh, old Shakespeare. Regular 
bookworm. What are you reading now? 



6 ALABAMA CENTENNIAL COMMISSION. 

John. (Not looking up.) I'm reading the Centenary 
play, "The Battle of Maubilla." 

Joe. (Springing up from the ground where he has been 
talking with the boys.) I know that play. Broth- 
er Robert's got a part in it at the County High 
School. There are Indians and Spanish knights 
and things. 

John. (Showing interest and explaining further.) Yes, 
lots of them. De Soto, Tuskaloosa, and all that 
old crowd of folks. 

Lottie. I know who De Soto was. He was a mighty 
warrior that King Charles of Spain sent to this 
country almost four hundred years ago to hunt 
for gold. My father told me that. 

Samuel. And Tuskaloosa's a bully town. I went there 
when my sister graduated in law last year. 

Lottie^ John and Joe laugh and point derisive fingert* 
at Samuel. 

Laura. (Kindly.) The Tuskaloosa in John's book was 
a big Indian Chief. He and De Soto had a fight. 

John. Well, Sam's half right. Tuskaloosa where the 
University is was named for the Indian Chief. 

Joe. (Reading the book over John's shoulder.) What*s 
a "Centenary," John? 

John. A hundred years. 

Joe.( Reading aloud slowly). Ala-ba-ma. Cen-tena-ry. 

John. Its been a hundred years ago today since Ala- 
bama joined the Union. 

Lottie. What's today? (Thinking) December the four- 
teenth, 

I know that because Mama's Club is going to 
have a birthday cake. 

Several boys together. Oh, Gee. Bring us a piece. 



DE SOTO AND THE INDIANS. 7 

Joe, {Taking the book and reading aloud in oratori- 
cal manner.) 
'Tis harvest time; rich stores are being housed. 
Enough of corn, of fruit of honey and of walnut oil 
Are already carried from the woods and fields 
To feed our army many days. 

'Tis naught to us if we leave these savages to 
starve." 

Alvin. {Showing interest.) That was some rough speil. 
Say, John, what's the whole blooming thing about? 

Joe. {Turning over page and reading to himself.) 
It's a thriller, kid. 

John. It tells how the Spaniards came to Alabama af- 
ter landing in Tampa, Florida, and then took 
most every think they laid their hands on from 
the Indians that lived here. 

All the Children. {They gather around John and show 
interest.) 

John. They brought blood-hounds and if the savages 
didn't do their way they threw them to the dogs. 
Oh, they were a bloody lot. 

Samuel. Tell us about some of their fights. 

John. There were a lot of them, and they were mighty 
cute. One of their little tricks was to get hold of 
the Chiefs when they got into their Province and 
hold on to them until they came to the next. 

William. What did they do that for? 

John. The Indians thought a lot of their Chiefs and 
they were afraid that if they tried to fight the 
Spaniards they would kill their leading man. 

Samuel. {Whistling.) Some nifty trick! 

Ethel. Why did De Soto and Tuskaloosa fight? 

John. Tuskaloosa was the biggest cheese of all the In- 



8 ALABAMA CENTENNIAL COMMISSION. 

dians. Just thousands of braves fought under 
him. When he heard that white men were com- 
ing through his lands he went to meet them and 
gave them the glad hand. 

William. I call that white. 

Ethel, (To William,) Quit butting in. (To John.) 
Then what happened next? 

John. Tuskaloosa was mighty proud and pretty foxy 
too. When he caught on to what the invaders 
were driving at and saw that they were only a 
few hundred to his thousands he made up his 
mind they couldn't order him around. So he 
marched along with the push, but he kept send- 
ing runners on to his capital city to warn his 
warriors to be ready for a fight. When they 
reached Maubilla — 

Lottie. Was that Mobile? 

John. No. It was an Indian town, built where the 
Warrior and Tombigbee rivers meet. It was a 
bully town, had walls and portholes and lots of 
things. 

Ethel. (Getting beside John.) Go on, John. I'm dy- 
ing to hear what happened next. 

John. When they got near to Maubilla on their march 
Tuskaloosa told De Soto he had gone far enough 
and was going to stop and stay at home. De 
Soto wasn't willing to that, so Tuskaloosa got 
mighty mad. They had it nip and tuck. The 
Chief sent his warriors word to get out their 
scalping knives. 

Joe. (Jumping about gleefully.) I bet there was a 
corking fight. Which whipped? 

Lottie. The Spaniards had on steel armor and used 



DE SOTO AND THE INDIANS. 9 

guns and swords. The poor savages were half 
naked and had only bows and arrows. 
John. Not on your life. They had blowguns, war 

clubs and stone axes too. 
Joe. And tomahawks! (Swinging an imaginary 

hatchet,) 
William, Which won? 
John. Of course the white men won. 
Ethel. {Taking the book.) This book says De Soto 
was the first white man that set foot on Alabama 
soil. 
John. And so he was, 
Joe. What did he want to come here for? 
Ethel. {Reading dramatically.) 

"It is the guest of gold that leads 
Our Captain ever on and on. 
Already we have lost a hundred men 
From sickness and native's unfriendly hand, 
For my part I'll be right glad 
When runners come to tell us that 
Maldonado hath returned from Cuba 
And waits at Ochuse to take us home." 
{She looks up at John.) What did "Maldinado" have 

to do with it? 
John. He was in command of the ships that De Soto 
had ordered him to bring back from Cuba to take 
them back again. 
Ethel. Well, I hope they went and let the poor In- 
dians alone. 
John. No, De Soto told the Captain's messengers not 
to let the army know the ships had come to Mo- 
bile, for that was then the Indian town of Ochuse. 
Laura. I call that a shabby trick. 



10 ALABAMA CENTENNIAL COMMISSION. 

John. You see De Soto hadn't found the gold he'd 
bragged he was going to get. His pride was up. 

Alvin. I hope some Indian poked him in the rib. 

John, Oh, he got his. 

Mary. What did he get? 

John. After the fight at Maubilla where Tuskaloosa 
and several thousand Indians were killed and the 
town burned to ashes, De Soto took his crowd 
of freebooters and went on west. After wander- 
ing about through Mississippi and Arkansas for 
a year or two, still hunting gold, he got sick 
and died, a broken hearted man. 

Jane. (Sadly and romantically.) And they took his 
body and put it in the trunk of a tree so the In- 
dians wouldn't get it and then buried him in the 
great Mississippi river. (Beginning to cry in 
sympathy.) 

Samtiel. (Impatiently.) Oh, shut up, Jane. You spoil 
everything, 

Jane. (Indignantly.) You'd cry too if you had any 
imagination. Teacher says I have a BOUND- 
LESS IMAGINATION. (Boastfully.) And 
I'm NERVOUS too. 

Mary. I'll tell you what! (Clapping her hands with 
eager pleasure.) Let's have a play — 

Jane. (Suddenly cheerful). Make it a moving picture, 
Mary. 

Mary. (Patiently.) Don't interrupt, dear. Lets make 
up a play about De Soto and Tuskaloosa. 
(All get enthused and jump about and clap their 

hands, sayings "A play, a play.") 

Joe. I bid to be De Soto, 

Samuel. I'll be Tuskaloosa. 



DE SOTO AND THE INDIANS. 11 

(They take opposite sides of the stage and their 

"^'sides'' line up.) 

Several Children together. I'll be a Spaniard. (Th&g 
join Joe.) 

Several other Children. I'll be an Indian. (They join 
Sam.) 

Joe. Now John, when does the fight begin! (He rolls 
up his sleeves and throws out his chest as he 
struts about. He steps to center of sage, pre- 
tends to draw a sword and speak to his adver- 
sary.) 
"Tuskaloosa, mighty Chief, I'll run thee through!" 

Alvin. When the fight begins how're we going to know 
who's who? 

tithel. (With excitement.) Oh, I know! Let's cut up 
the old red stage curtain and tie sashes on the 
Indians. (She runs off to school house.) 

Joe. I ought to have on a breast plate or something 
to show I'm in armor. 

Mary. Hold on a minute. I've got an idea. (She 
rushes to bench where there is an empty lunch 
box^ pours out the scraps of food^ and sticks holes 
in the sides with a hair pin. Through these she 
runs the strings and ties the "armor" across Joe's 
chest. She shakes out an empty paper bag and 
puts it on his head for a helmet.) Now, wtio'U 
dare to say that isn't a perfectly good suit of 
mail! 

(By now Jane is back with the red curtain^ and all 
hands pitch in and tear it into strips. These are 
cut in two again with a pair of scissors from 
John's pocket case. Every one is talking at once, 
laughing and making up.) 



12 ALABAMA CENTENNIAL COMMISSION. 

Jane. I brought the box of colored chalks, and the old 
feather duster. The Indians ought to paint their 
faces and have war plumes. {The Indians tohoop 
and begin to chalk each other's faces every color 
in the box and in their red head barids stick 
feathers from the duster.) 

Alvin. Alright. Begin. John's stage boss. 

John. Then lets begin. 

Tom. Hold on a minute. Let me go get the calis- 
thenics clubs. (He starts running^ but John 
catches him.) No Indian clubs! You'll be break- 
ing each other's heads. 

Mary. This is not a sure 'nough fight. 

Tom. (Disgusted.) Girls! 

John. Lets hurry up. The school bell will be ringing 
pretty soon. This big play (holding up the book) 
begins with an Indian procession of harvesters. 
Shall we start with that? 

All together. Yes, yes, yes, yes. 

John, Come on Sam. Come on Indians. (They form 
in line behind each other. Each halts before John 
a second while he pretends to hand them their 
load.) 

John. (He catches hold of Samuel and pushes him 
to one side.) You don't go in this. Stand there. 
(Catching Jim by the arm)^ I need you too. 
too, 

(To each in turn.) This is corn. Take it to the winter 
store house, and all these things. (To the next) 
Here's a basket of dried beans. This is a jar of 
wild honey. Here, you, take this roU of deer 
skins. You'll be needing clothes and moccasins 



DE SOTO AND THE INDIANS. 13 

after awhile. This is dried bear meat. Shove 
along! Shove along! 

{The Indians march off stage carrying their imaginary 
loads f and singing an Indian song.) 

(To De Soto.) Now De Soto, your crowd is marching 
along through the woods. Get that in your head. 
There are about six hundred Spaniards, and five 
hundred Indian slaves. The slaves have been 
caught along the way to carry the heavy stuif. 
In the lot are some Indian girls. There are two 
hundred horses and some blood-hounds too. 

Joe. Gee-miny. That's a whopping crowd. 

John. You must send the Indian slaves inside the 
walls of Maubilla to spend the night and when 
the fight begins they cut off their chains and take 
the swords out of their packs and fight like 
hungry wolves. 

Joe. (With great enthusiasm.) Go to it old boy. Go 
to it! 

John, Now, Spaniards, all go out and march in in state. 

Samuel. Where do I come in? 

John. You're in the Spanish crowd, coming along like 
this. (He folds his arms across his breast and 
struts across stage with dignity.) 

Samuel (Snatching up a girl's hat from the seat and 
putting it on.) This is my war-bonnet. (He puts 
a shawl or scarf over his shoulders^ the right arm 
free in Gypsy fashion.) And this is my martin- 
skin cloak. 

Mary. (Looking in the book.) The book says that one 
of the Indians with Tuskaloosa held a deerskin 
shield over him to protect him from the sun. 

Ja»«. (Snatching up a bright colored parasol.) Here 



14 ALABAMA CENTENNIAL COMMISSION. 

take this for the shield. (She opens the parasol 
and places it in the hands of Jim^ who holds 
it over his Chief.) 

John. (In business-like manner). All's set. Begin, 
begin. (All rush of right^ to re-enter in stato,) 
Here you girls (several remained seated on the 
benches^ looking on.) You've got to be priests. 
There were monks and priests in De Soto's 
crowd. Go on. (All rush out to join the others 
except one.) 

John. Why don't you go on with the rest, "Miss Dig^ 
nity?" 

Miss Dignity. Somebody's got to be the Audience. 
Well. I'm it. (The procession enters. De Soto 
and his train^ Tuskaloosa and his attendants^ Jim^ 
with the umbrella held over himself. Then suddenly 
shifts it over his Chief. The procession marches 
around the stage. 

Willie. (Suddenly hoioUng like a dog.) Woow, woow! 

Jane and the girls ^ (jumping and screaming.) 

Willie. I'm the bloodhounds. (He howls again.) 

Alvin. (Neighing like a horse.) I'm two hundred 
horses. 

John. Cut it out. (His hands on his hips disgustedly.) 

Misi Dignity. Where's the rest of the army, John? 

John. A lot of them were already camped at the gates 
of Maubilla. 

Joe. Let the fight begin. I'm aching for the fight! 

John. (Whispering to Tuskaloosa.) 

A Priest. That's not fair. John's taking sides. 

Joe. He's just telling Tuskaloosa what to say. I don't 



DE SOTO AND THE INDIANS. 15 

Tuskaloosa, (With great dignity, striding to center of 
the stage and speaking to Joe.) 
"De Soto, mighty stranger — 
Of mine own will I've journeyed far 
Outside my realm to greet thee, 
And to give thee welcome. 
Halt we now, 'pon mine own land, 
Maubilla stands in arrow's shot and 
It comporteth not with my dignity 
That I tend on any man's convenience 
Or mere whim." 
(He scowls deeply.) 
De Soto. (Stealing glances at the book, which he then 
hides behind him.) 
"And wouldst thou leave me at thy gates? 
Is this thy chiefly hospitality? 
Tuskaloosa. "If thou, with all thy train 

Will tarry here, lands will I give thee freely 
And will teach thee how to grow the maize 
And gather nuts and hunt wild game — 
William. Oh, nuts. Begin the fight, I want to fight. 

Tuskaloosa starts off proudly while his attendant 
stands not knowing what to do, holding the wn^ 
brella stiffly over the spot where his Chief latelff 
stood.) 
John, (Whispering to him and he moves toward Tus- 
kaloosa.) 
De Soto. (Springing before the Chief and stopping his 
departure.) Thou shalt not go! (He takes his 
stick sword from the pretended scabbard loith p 
broad sweep and threatens Tuskaolosa.) 
Jim, (Letting down the umbrella, and using it for a 
stick as he addresses De Soto:) 



16 ALABAMA CENTENNIAL COMMISSION. 

**Touch not thou my Chief!" 

Paul. Nor thou touch mine!" 

{He biffs the Indian with a fist blow and knocks 
him dead.) 

Tuakaloosa. (Scowling savagely at Pa/ul.) Thou hast 
slain my greatest fighting man. For this thou 
too must die. (He snatches up the umbrella and 
spears Paul^ who falls dead. Tuskaloosa give$ 
a great war whoop and runs off left.) 

De Soto. Ho, Spaniards there, to arms. To arms! 
Strike bold for king and Church. 

[Emt.] 

First Priest. I'm glad priests aren't fighting men. 

Second Priest. (Looking towards battle ground where 
whoops and yells continue.) They're at it now, 
I hope Joe's satisfied. 

Miss Dignity. I'm the audience, but if I keep my seat 
I can't see the fight. (The school bell Hngs 
loudly. The priests and Miss Dignity throw up 
their hands in silent disgust.) 
Enter Teacher. 

Teacher. (Still ringing the bell.) Girls, girls! What 
on earth is happening here? (Stopping her ears.) 
Have the boys all turned Bolsheviks? (Seeing 
the two corpses.) What's this? 

Jan^ They were slain in battle. 

Teacher. Paid, Jim. (Shaking the boys who get up.) 

Paul. When you're dead you miss all the fun. 

Jim.. Come Paul. (They run out to join the others,) 

Miss Dignity. (To Teacher.) We've been celebrating 
Alabama's birhtday. One hundred years ago we 
became a state and we've been having a play. 



DE SOTO AND THE INDIANS. 17 

Mary. "De Soto and the Indians." Its been lots of 
fun. 

Laura. The boys are pretending they are Spaniards 
and Indians and they're just finishing the Battle 
, of Maubilla, {A final and terrible whoop U 
heard. Then silence.) 

Teacher. It's because it is Alabama's hundredth birth- 
day that you've had such a long recess. Come, 
now,there's a surprise waiting for you. 

A U the girU. ( Gathering about the Teacher with en- 
thusiasm.) Tell us! Tell us, please. What is 
the surprise? 

Teacher. Your parents have all come to the school- 
house to help you celebrate. 

All fhe girls. (Clipping their hands.) Our parents 
here. 

Teacher. (Confidentially.) And there's something else. 
A Birthday cake, with a hundred candles on it. 

All the girls. (Yelling.) 

Teacher. (Ringing the bell again.) 

Miss Dignity. The dinner bell, not the school bell. 
That's where the audience applauds. (She elaps 
her hands. Enter all the boys with noisy laugh- 
ter and fun. They are pretty disheveled.) 

De Soto. (With great gusto.) The Spaniards beat. 
The white men beat! 

All the girls to the Teacher. Don't tell them what we 
know. Don't tell. 

Sallie. (She whispers to Samuel and he to his neigh- 
bor^ and ea/yh boy whispers to the next^ until all 
are jumping and showing secret delight.) 

All ths boys together (to Teacher and QirU.) We know, 
Its Alabama's Birthday cake. 



18 ALABAMA CENTENNIAL COMMISSION. 

Joe. Lets give the school yell for the Domestic Science 
Class. They made the cake. {He leads and all 
get close together and give the school yell.) 

8amv,el. And I propose we honor the occasion, the 
hundredth birthday of Alabama. Lets sing our 
State song. {They form a circle^ join hands^ and 
jfoss around the Teacher singing the first versw of 
"A labama" 

CURTAIN. 



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